San Bernardino County — Wireless Telecommunication Facilities

Overview

San Bernardino County Development Code Chapter 84.27 regulates the siting, height, review, notice, and design of wireless telecommunication facilities in the County’s unincorporated areas. It favors locations with minimal impacts, particularly non-residential areas, and encourages co-location on existing towers, utility structures, and similar facilities. § 84.27.010

A new tower or antenna generally must be at least 300 ft or 200% of tower height—whichever is greater—from an off-site residence, unless a listed concealment or existing-structure exception applies. § 84.27.040

This chapter does not establish a separate countywide list of wireless-permitted zones. Instead, it assigns wireless tower height limits by the parcel’s underlying San Bernardino County zoning district and by the Valley, Mountain, or Desert Region. § 84.27.030

Applicability and Siting Framework

Chapter 84.27 applies to wireless telecommunication projects that did not receive proper Department land-use approval before December 6, 2001. It does not apply to remote units required for fixed wireless telephone or high-speed internet service; those remote units are exempt from Department, Commission, and Board review. § 84.27.020

The County’s stated siting direction is to minimize aesthetic, health, safety, and economic impacts; encourage facilities in non-residential settings; and promote joint use of new or existing tower and antenna sites, including utility towers. § 84.27.010 Parcel-specific land-use entitlement, San Bernardino County land use, and overlay constraints should be confirmed separately.

Height Limits by Zoning District

Tower height is controlled by Table 84-18 and varies by underlying district and region. A height variance may be available through the County’s San Bernardino County Variances and Exceptions process, but Chapter 84.27 does not guarantee approval. § 84.27.030

RL — Rural Living

The RL district has wireless-tower limits of 45 ft in the Valley Region, 55 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 The district’s purpose, ordinary permitted uses, and other dimensional standards are not found in source materials; verify the underlying district rules and applicable San Bernardino County Development Standards.

RS — Single Residential

The RS district has the most restrictive Mountain Region tower cap: 35 ft; its Valley and Desert caps are 45 ft and 55 ft, respectively. § 84.27.030 The source materials do not establish district purpose, typical uses, or lot standards. A proposed facility still must meet the residence-separation rule unless an exception applies. § 84.27.040

RM — Multiple Residential

In RM, maximum tower heights are 45 ft in the Valley Region, 55 ft in the Mountain Region, and 60 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 District purpose, typical uses, and other dimensional standards are not found in source materials; verify with the jurisdiction.

RC — Resource Conservation

The RC district allows a maximum wireless-tower height of 45 ft in the Valley Region, 55 ft in the Mountain Region, and 199 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 The source materials do not state why this district has those limits or identify typical permitted uses; verify site-specific environmental and San Bernardino County Overlay Districts requirements.

AG — Agriculture

The AG district’s tower cap is 60 ft in both the Valley and Mountain Regions and 75 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 Its purpose, typical permitted uses, setbacks, and other agricultural development rules are not found in source materials.

FW — Floodway

For FW, the tower-height maximum is 60 ft in the Valley Region, 70 ft in the Mountain Region, and 75 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 Source materials do not provide the district purpose, ordinary uses, or flood-related development criteria; verify with the jurisdiction.

CN — Neighborhood Commercial

The CN district permits maximum tower heights of 60 ft, 70 ft, and 75 ft in the Valley, Mountain, and Desert Regions. § 84.27.030 Chapter 84.27 does not identify the district’s typical commercial uses or general lot standards.

CR — Rural Commercial

The CR district allows towers up to 60 ft in the Valley Region, 70 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 District purpose, normal permitted uses, and dimensional standards are not found in source materials.

SD — Special Development

In SD, the applicable maximums are 75 ft in the Valley Region, 75 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 The source materials do not establish the purpose or use regulations for SD; verify any adopted plan or site-specific standards with the jurisdiction.

CO — Office Commercial

The CO district has tower limits of 75 ft in the Valley and Mountain Regions and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 Chapter 84.27 does not provide office-district purposes, typical uses, or ordinary site dimensions.

CH — Highway Commercial

For CH, towers may reach 75 ft in the Valley Region, 75 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 The district’s purpose, typical permitted uses, and other development standards are not found in source materials.

CG — General Commercial

The CG district’s maximum tower heights are 75 ft, 75 ft, and 120 ft across the Valley, Mountain, and Desert Regions. § 84.27.030 Verify underlying commercial standards and any separate San Bernardino County Design Review requirements with the jurisdiction.

CS — Service Commercial

In CS, the wireless-tower caps are 75 ft in the Valley Region, 75 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 District purpose, usual service-commercial uses, and dimensional standards are not found in source materials.

IC — Community Industrial

The IC district allows towers up to 90 ft in the Valley Region, 90 ft in the Mountain Region, and 120 ft in the Desert Region. § 84.27.030 The source materials do not define IC purpose or typical industrial uses; verify with the jurisdiction.

IR — Regional Industrial

The IR district has a uniform maximum tower height of 180 ft in all three County regions. § 84.27.030 This is the highest uniform district cap in Table 84-18, but the County still evaluates location, visibility, access, existing structures, and coverage in a permit review. § 84.27.080

IN — Institutional

The IN district also allows a uniform maximum tower height of 180 ft in the Valley, Mountain, and Desert Regions. § 84.27.030 The source materials do not state institutional-district purposes, permitted uses, or other bulk standards.

SP — Specific Plan

In SP, wireless-tower height is governed per specific plan, rather than by a listed regional height number. § 84.27.030 The applicable plan and its standards are not found in source materials; verify with the jurisdiction before designing a facility.

Height Measurement and Mountain Sites

For a ground-mounted antenna, height is measured from the lowest ground surface at the tower base to the top of the tower or any tower extension. § 84.27.030 For a forested Mountain Region site, the tower may use the Table 84-18 height or reach 20 ft above the predominant tree height in the prime direction of signal propagation. § 84.27.030

The supplied source materials truncate the provision addressing height measurement for antennas mounted on structures other than towers. That measurement method is Not found in source materials.

Residence Separation and Concealment Exceptions

A tower or antenna must be no closer to an off-site residence than the greater of 300 ft or 200% of the tower’s height. § 84.27.040 This is a separation from an off-site residence—not a general zoning setback rule—and it should not be confused with underlying San Bernardino County Development Standards.

The separation standard does not apply when:

• The facility is totally enclosed in another structure, such as a steeple or sign. § 84.27.040
• The facility is added to an existing structure and appears to be part of that structure’s architectural design. § 84.27.040
• An antenna is mounted on an existing utility tower, utility streetlight, utility pole, or substantially similar replacement, with no increase in structure height and no antenna extending above it. Water tanks are not “utility towers” for this exception. § 84.27.040

Permit Pathways

All wireless telecommunication facility projects require a Conditional Use Permit/Minor Use Permit unless they qualify for the chapter’s listed exemption. Controversial projects require a public hearing before the Commission, but a project cannot be treated as controversial solely because of radio-frequency emissions. § 84.27.060

A qualifying project may instead use a Site Plan Permit, provided it does not require a variance. The usual limitation in § 85.08.020(b) does not apply to these listed Site Plan Permit projects. § 84.27.060

For the Site Plan Permit categories, utility or accessory equipment must be screened from any residence or state- or County-maintained road in a way compatible with the setting. § 84.27.060

Even a project otherwise described as exempt from the Conditional Use Permit requirement may be elevated to the Commission where it may be controversial or involves important policy questions; the Commission may refer it to the Board. § 84.27.100

Design, Equipment, and Site Operations

A freestanding aboveground support facility, including an equipment shelter, may be no taller than one story and must resemble a structure or facility typically found nearby. § 84.27.050 If nearby structures are absent, or a cabinet is proposed, the equipment must blend with the predominant viewing background or be screened with landscaping or another practical method. § 84.27.050

Service-vehicle parking may be allowed on site. Required paving or surfacing must comply with Chapter 83.11, and screening is required where appropriate. § 84.27.050

Other operational rules include:

• Tower lighting is prohibited unless required by the FAA, FCC, or the California Building Standards Code. External structure and area lighting is allowed only when motion-sensor controlled. § 84.27.050
• Outdoor storage of equipment, materials, or supplies is prohibited. § 84.27.050
• Applicants must avoid or minimize disturbance to the natural landscape, promptly repair construction disturbance, and regularly address later disturbance. § 84.27.050
• New power and communication lines may not be aboveground unless clear and convincing evidence shows undergrounding would create substantial environmental impacts. Underground utilities must minimize disturbance to vegetation and wildlife habitat. § 84.27.050

Notice and Review Factors

For a Conditional Use Permit application, notice goes to the applicable Municipal Advisory Council and affected property owners upon application acceptance. In urban areas, notice reaches owners within 300 ft of the proposed parcel’s external boundaries; in rural areas, notice reaches owners within 1,000 ft or at least 20 surrounding parcels, whichever is greater, up to 1/4 mile (1,320 ft). § 84.27.070

For a Land Use Permit application, owners within 300 ft of the parcel’s external boundaries receive notice upon application acceptance. § 84.27.070 The source materials do not explain how a wireless project fits the Land Use Permit category; verify with the jurisdiction.

When deciding a Conditional Use Permit, the review authority considers tower height, nearby residences and residential district boundaries, adjacent uses, vegetation and existing structures, visual design, access, availability of existing sites, signal coverage, agency comments, and compliance with state and federal rules. § 84.27.080 It must also make and justify the findings required by § 85.06.040, whose substantive text is not found in source materials. § 84.27.080

Checklist

• Confirm the site is in unincorporated San Bernardino County, not an incorporated city.
• Identify the underlying zoning district and whether the site is in the Valley, Mountain, or Desert Region. § 84.27.030
• Apply the district-and-region tower-height limit in Table 84-18; for SP, obtain the applicable specific plan standard. § 84.27.030
• Check whether the tower must be at least 300 ft or 200% of tower height from an off-site residence. § 84.27.040
• Determine whether a concealment, existing-structure, or utility-structure exception removes the residence-separation standard. § 84.27.040
• Select the permit path: Conditional Use Permit/Minor Use Permit or a qualifying Site Plan Permit project. § 84.27.060
• Screen qualifying Site Plan Permit utility and accessory equipment from residences and state- or County-maintained roads. § 84.27.060
• Design equipment shelters at no more than one story and use compatible architecture, background blending, or screening. § 84.27.050
• Avoid outdoor storage, minimize landscape disturbance, and plan underground utility service unless the stated environmental exception is supported. § 84.27.050
• Prepare materials addressing visibility, access, existing alternatives, signal coverage, and rule compliance for Conditional Use Permit review. § 84.27.080

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, a wireless facility is not simply a matter of erecting a tower at the highest allowed height. The proposal must use the correct district-and-region cap, stay away from off-site homes unless it qualifies for an exception, use the appropriate permit path, and show the County how it reduces visual and site impacts. §§ 84.27.030, 84.27.040, 84.27.060, 84.27.080

Source References

• § 84.27.010 — Purpose, federal limitations, goals, non-residential siting, co-location, and regional height approach.
• § 84.27.020 — Applicability and remote-unit exemption.
• § 84.27.030 — Tower height limits, Table 84-18, Mountain Region forested-site rule, and ground-mounted height measurement.
• § 84.27.040 — Separation from off-site residences and exceptions.
• § 84.27.050 — Support facilities, parking, lighting, storage, disturbance, and utility lines.
• § 84.27.060 — Conditional Use Permit/Minor Use Permit and Site Plan Permit pathways.
• § 84.27.070 — Project notice requirements.
• § 84.27.080 — Conditional Use Permit review factors and findings.
• § 84.27.100 — Elevation of approvals.

Source passages

• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.010 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.020 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.040 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.060 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.100 Medium relevance show source text
• California Building Code § 84.27.050 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.030 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.070 Medium relevance show source text
• San Bernardino County Zoning Code § 84.27.080 Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 84.27.010** — Purpose, federal limitations, goals, non-residential siting, co-location, and regional height approach.
• **§ 84.27.020** — Applicability and remote-unit exemption.
• **§ 84.27.030** — Tower height limits, Table 84-18, Mountain Region forested-site rule, and ground-mounted height measurement.
• **§ 84.27.040** — Separation from off-site residences and exceptions.
• **§ 84.27.050** — Support facilities, parking, lighting, storage, disturbance, and utility lines.
• **§ 84.27.060** — Conditional Use Permit/Minor Use Permit and Site Plan Permit pathways.
• **§ 84.27.070** — Project notice requirements.
• **§ 84.27.080** — Conditional Use Permit review factors and findings.
• **§ 84.27.100** — Elevation of approvals.

• Official San Bernardino County code library